Ref Watch: Three decisions wrong in Tottenham vs Brighton

Dermot Gallagher dissects the flashpoints from the weekend’s football action, suggesting there were three wrong decisions in Brighton’s defeat at Tottenham.

Tottenham 2-1 Brighton

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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from the clash between Tottenham and Brighton in the Premier League.

INCIDENT: With Spurs leading 1-0, Kaoru Mitoma’s goal is ruled out for handball but replays show it may have hit his chest.

DERMOT’S VERDICT: “I found this a difficult decision. I was of the opinion it was high up his arm, the assistant wasn’t, the VAR checked and they sided with the assistant.”

DERMOT SAYS: “The key thing here is that the goal is ruled out on the field.

“You can see the assistant point to his arm to show where it is. Does it hit Mitoma’s chest or his arm? The assistant is adamant.

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“The VAR looked and looked and looked, and felt that what the assistant said was correct. On that basis they have to go with the on-field decision.”

Were the decisions right or wrong?

Hojbjerg on Mitoma, no penalty. Right or wrong?

Dermot says: “Penalty for me.”

Lenglet on Dunk, no penalty. Right or wrong?

Dermot says: “If the referee gives a penalty it certainly won’t be overturned.

Mitoma handball, goal disallowed. Right or wrong?

Dermot says: “I found this a difficult decision. I was of the opinion it was high up his arm, the assistant wasn’t, the VAR checked and they sided with the assistant. They said it was too low.”

Mac Allister handball. Right or wrong?

Dermot says: “In law, right.”

INCIDENT: VAR rules out Alexis Mac Allister’s goal for handball after he deflects in Danny Welbeck’s shot

DERMOT’S VERDICT: Unlucky but correct decision when applying the laws of the game.

'You can't ay 100 per cent the ball has hit his arm'

Stephen Warnock on Sky Sports News:

“I don’t buy into the fact that the ball has hit his arm.

“I think it has hit his hip and I don’t think it is conclusive that the ball has hit his arm at all.

“There is not one person I have spoken too, apart from Dermot, who says the ball has come off his arm.”

DERMOT SAYS: “I think he’s desperately unlucky but it has struck his arm.

“It’s hit his hip and his arm, and the law says if it goes in off your arm the goal is disallowed.

“He has no idea the ball is going to hit him like that, but it is not a goal.”

Dermot on the battle of the managers…

Was the referee right to send off both managers?

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher:

“Jeremy Simpson is the fourth official and he monitored everything.

“In that situation, the managers are responsible for their technical areas. He obviously felt the manager hasn’t coped with that. He has allowed his staff to react like thy did and that is untoward.

“So, they have both been given red cards.”

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Roberto De Zerbi and Cristian Stellini clash on the touchline before both are sent off.

INCIDENT: Lewis Dunk appeared to have his shirt grabbed by Clement Lenglet when going to win a header in the Tottenham penalty area.

DERMOT’S VERDICT: Lenglet lucky to avoid giving away a penalty.

DERMOT SAYS: “Lenglet puts two hands on him and when you do that you run a massive risk. Again, the referee is looking at it but waves it away.”

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Brighton had two goals disallowed against Tottenham by VAR and two penalty claims ignored in a feisty game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

INCIDENT: Mitoma goes down under Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s challenge but VAR says no penalty, along with referee Stuart Attwell.

DERMOT’S VERDICT: Wrong decision. Brighton should have been awarded a penalty.

DERMOT SAYS: “The referee has got the perfect position. He should just give a penalty.

“The referee quite clearly says ‘no’ but Hojbjerg doesn’t get anywhere near the ball.

“Whether he think Mitoma has thrown himself to the floor, I don’t know, but I think it’s a foul.”

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Jeff Stelling insisted an incident in Saturday’s match between Tottenham and Brighton is ‘crazy’

PGMOL apologises to Brighton for VAR not giving penalty against Spurs

Image: Referee Stuart Attwell during the match between Tottenham and Brighton

The PGMOL has admitted a mistake was made by the match officials and VAR when not awarding a penalty to Brighton in Saturday’s Premier League game against Tottenham.

Howard Webb, PGMOL’s chief refereeing officer, has apologised to Brighton and held talks with them about the decision-making process in the game.

It is the third apology the club have been given by PGMOL this season for decisions made on the field.

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Assistant ref Hatzidakis won’t officiate until Robertson investigation is over

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Assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis appears to elbow Andy Robertson in the face at the end of the first half at Anfield.

Assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis will not officiate until an investigation over an alleged elbow on Andy Robertson has been completed, the PGMOL has confirmed.

Hatzidakis was approached by Robertson as the half-time whistle blew during Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Sunday, with the defender insisting the assistant referee had struck him in the throat seconds later.

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Former referee Dermot Gallagher provides expert analysis after assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis appeared to elbow Liverpool’s Andy Robertson.

Robertson was given a yellow card by referee Paul Tierney for his role in the incident, while Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson approached the officials to discuss the incident.

A statement from the PGMOL read: “PGMOL will not be appointing Constantine Hatzidakis to fixtures in any of the competition it serves whilst The FA investigates the incident involving the assistant referee and Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson at Anfield.”

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Roy Keane reacts to Andy Robertson’s clash with the assistant referee at the end of the first half at Anfield.

Ref Watch on Robertson incient: Any different to Mitrovic? Warnock: It looks like assault

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Stephen Warnock suggests assistant referee, Constantine Hatzidakis could be facing a lengthy ban for his part in the incident with Andy Robertson, comparing it with a similar incident involving Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Stephen Warnock suggests Hatzidakis could be facing a lengthy ban for his part in the incident with Robertson, comparing it with a similar incident involving Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Assistant ref drama Q&A

What happened, the next steps, what is Hatzidakis like, has this happened before, and could the ref have done anything differently?

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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from the Premier League match between Liverpool and Arsenal.

Fulham 0-1 West Ham

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The Ref Watch panel discuss West Ham’s goal against Fulham and whether or not they think it should have been ruled out for a handball by Vladimir Coufal.

INCIDENT: The ball hit Vladimir Coufal’s hand before he dug out a cross in the build-up to West Ham’s goal at Craven Cottage.

DERMOT’S VERDICT: Goal right to stand.

DERMOT SAYS: “The question is whether it is handball against Coufal?

“Does the ball hit his arm? Yes. Does it lead directly to a goal? No.

“It has to be deemed to be deliberate, which the officials didn’t.

“At no point did the handball set up the goal or score the goal. So, unfortunately for Fulham, it’s a goal.”

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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from the match between Fulham and West Ham in the Premier League.

Celtic 3-2 Rangers

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Alfredo Morelos sees his goal ruled out by referee Kevin Clancy, much to the disbelief of co-commentators Ally McCoist and Andy Walker.

INCIDENT: Alfredo Morelos tapped in Borna Barisic’s corner, only to be penalised by referee Kevin Clancy for a push on defender Alistair Johnston. Nick Walsh and Daniel McFarlane – who were on VAR duty – agreed with Clancy’s decision, leaving the visitors furious.

DERMOT’S VERDICT: Celtic got lucky.

DERMOT SAYS: “I think Celtic are very, very lucky.

“Both players are grappling so for me, it’s best to let it go. Celtic just got lucky.”

'It's two players jostling for position'

Stephen Warnock on Sky Sports News:

“It’s a physical game. There isn’t enough there to rule out a goal.

“It’s two players jostling for position and another poor refereeing decision.”

Rangers to write to SFA over disallowed Morelos goal | ‘It’s embarrassing’

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Kris Boyd fumes as Alfredo Morelos’ goal is ruled out for Rangers for a foul.

Rangers will write to the Scottish FA for an explanation over why Morelos’ first-half goal at Celtic Park was disallowed, Sky Sports News understands.

The Ibrox side went on to lose 3-2 and are now 12 points behind Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic with seven games to go.

Following his first league defeat as Gers boss, Michael Beale said: “We definitely deserved something from the game. There are one or two decisions that I think have gone against us, so I’m a bit disappointed with that.

“Certainly, in terms of the goal Alfredo scores first half, their boy [Johnston] isn’t trying to play the ball and if you look at Alfredo’s shirt and the number on his back it’s twisted round to his left shoulder. That would prove that both were at it.”

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Highlights of the thrilling Old Firm game between Celtic and Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.

Sky Sports co-commentator Ally McCoist questioned the decision and said: “It is absolutely embarrassing the way we are running VAR. We are a laughing stock. He gives him a little nudge.”

Fellow co-commentator Andy Walker agreed with McCoist, while Sky Sports’ Kris Boyd didn’t hold back in the studio, adding: “It’s embarrassing.

“It’s a contact sport, Alistair Johnston has a grip of Alfredo Morelos and Alfredo Morelos has a grip of him as well.

“Then all of a sudden he decides to fall forward because he’s caught under the ball.

“The both of them are at it. There is a push from Morelos – he’s just trying to free himself.

“For me, I don’t think there’s enough in it to be given as a foul and if it was at the other end, the Celtic fans and Celtic players would be of the exact same opinion.”